Turkey (Republic of Turkey)

Turkey Republic of Turkey
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	70th best
Capital	Ankara
Land Area	769 630km21
Location	Asia, Europe, The Mediterranean, The Middle East
Population	82.3m2
Life Expectancy	76.03yrs (2017)3
GNI	$31 033 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	TR, TUR, 7925
Internet Domain	.tr6
Currency	Lira (TRY)7
Telephone	+908

1. Overview
2. Turkey National and Social Development
3. Turkey's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Turkey's Health
6. Turkey's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Turkey's Modernity and Learning
8. Turkey's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Accession to the European Union
11. Links

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1. Overview

#cyprus #iraq

“Modern Turkey was founded in 1923 from the Anatolian remnants of the defeated Ottoman Empire by national hero Mustafa KEMAL, who was later honored with the title Ataturk or "Father of the Turks." Under his authoritarian leadership, the country adopted wide-ranging social, legal, and political reforms. After a period of one-party rule, an experiment with multi-party politics led to the 1950 election victory of the opposition Democratic Party and the peaceful transfer of power. Since then, Turkish political parties have multiplied, but democracy has been fractured by periods of instability and intermittent military coups (1960, 1971, 1980), which in each case eventually resulted in a return of political power to civilians. In 1997, the military again helped engineer the ouster - popularly dubbed a "post-modern coup" - of the then Islamic-oriented government. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to prevent a Greek takeover of the island and has since acted as patron state to the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which only Turkey recognizes. A separatist insurgency begun in 1984 by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) - now known as the Kurdistan People's Congress or Kongra-Gel (KGK) - has dominated the Turkish military's attention and claimed more than 30,000 lives. After the capture of the group's leader in 1999, the insurgents largely withdrew from Turkey mainly to northern Iraq. In 2004, KGK announced an end to its ceasefire and attacks attributed to the KGK increased. Turkey joined the UN in 1945 and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. In 1964, Turkey became an associate member of the European Community. Over the past decade, it has undertaken many reforms to strengthen its democracy and economy.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Turkey boasts a rich history, some of the best cuisine you will ever taste, one of the world´s greatest cities, and scenery from white-sand beaches to soaring mountains. ... Turkey packs in as many towering minarets and spice-trading bazaars as its Middle Eastern neighbours. This bridge between continents has absorbed the best of Europe and Asia. Travellers can enjoy historical hot spots, mountain outposts, expansive steppes and caravanserai-loads of the exotic, without forgoing comfy beds and buses.

Despite its reputation as a continental meeting point, Turkey can´t be pigeonholed. Cappadocia, a dreamscape dotted with rock formations, is unlike anywhere else on the planet. Likewise, spots like Mt Nemrut, littered with giant stone heads, and Olympos, where Lycian ruins peek from the undergrowth, are quintessentially Turkish mixtures of natural splendour and ancient remains.

The beaches and mountains offer enough activities to impress the fussiest Ottoman sultan. Worldly pleasures include the many historic hotels, the meze to savour on panoramic terraces and, of course, Turkey´s famous kebaps.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

“An April 2017 referendum, which voters approved by a slim margin, introduced constitutional amendments switching Turkey to a presidential system of governance. [...] The referendum took place under a state of emergency imposed after the July 15, 2016 attempted military coup, and in an environment of heavy media censorship, with many journalists and parliamentarians from the pro-Kurdish opposition in jail.

The new presidential system, which consolidates the incumbent´s hold on power, is a setback for human rights and the rule of law. It lacks sufficient checks and balances against abuse of executive power, greatly diminishing the powers of parliament, and consolidating presidential control over most judicial appointments. [...]

Hundreds of media outlets, associations, foundations, private hospitals, and educational establishments that the government shut down by decree remained closed in 2017, their assets confiscated without compensation.”

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)₁₁

2. Turkey National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)12
Pos.		Higher is better Value12
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
45	Slovakia	0.848
46	Hungary	0.846
47	Argentina	0.842
48	Turkey	0.838
49	Montenegro	0.832
50	Kuwait	0.831
51	Brunei	0.829
52	Russia	0.822
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)12
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $12
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
42	Poland	$33 034
43	Latvia	$32 803
44	Hungary	$32 789
45	Turkey	$31 033
46	Slovakia	$30 690
47	Bahamas	$30 486
48	Croatia	$30 132
49	Romania	$30 027
	Asia Avg	$22 215
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index13
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank13
1	Denmark	27.0
2	Norway	29.9
3	Sweden	31.8
	...
67	Mexico	78.4
68	Ecuador	78.6
69	Northern Cyprus	79.1
70	Turkey	79.2
71	Jamaica	79.3
72	Panama	80.9
73	UAE	81.0
74	Kosovo	81.0
	Asia Avg	92.0
	World Avg	88.6
q=199.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Turkey's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population:

Turkey's population is predicted to rise to 86.67 million by 2030. This rise is despite a low fertility rate, meaning, that this country is helping to alleviate problems with growing population in neighbouring countries by accepting immigrants, very likely as a requirement of maintaining an active workforce. This country has a fertility rate of 1.88. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
15	Vietnam	95.5m
16	Congo, DR	84.1m
17	Germany	83.1m
18	Turkey	82.3m
19	Iran	81.8m
20	Thailand	69.4m
21	UK	67.1m
22	France	65.0m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better12
Pos.		2021 Years12
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
55	Panama	76.2
56	Turkey	76.0
57	Uruguay	75.4
58	Argentina	75.4
59	Bosnia & Herzegovina	75.3
60	Lebanon	75.0
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
13	Tunisia	2.06
14	Lebanon	2.08
15	Kuwait	2.09
16	Turkey	1.88
17	Cape Verde	1.88
18	Argentina	1.88
19	Myanmar (Burma)	2.13
20	Indonesia	2.15
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
108	El Salvador	17.3
109	Panama	17.7
110	N. Korea	17.8
111	Turkey	18.0
112	Vietnam	18.3
113	Tunisia	18.6
114	Azerbaijan	18.7
115	Colombia	18.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
77	Macedonia	6.3%
78	Finland	6.2%
79	Marshall Islands	6.2%
80	Turkey	6.0%
81	Syria	5.5%
82	Thailand	5.2%
83	Hungary	5.2%
84	Palestine	5.2%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
99	Italy	5.8%
100	Benin	5.8%
101	Laos	5.7%
102	Turkey	5.6%
103	Comoros	5.6%
104	Congo, (Brazzaville)	5.6%
105	Togo	5.4%
106	Ivory Coast	5.4%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #freedom #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance #turkey #turkey_women #women

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
98	Botswana	86.8
99	Antigua & Barbuda	87.1
100	Fiji	87.1
101	Turkey	87.4
102	Venezuela	88.1
103	Sri Lanka	89.6
	Asia Avg	103.00
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Turkey is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Turkey does better than average in terms of the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₀, commentary in Human Rights Watch reports₂₁, opposing gender inequality₂₂, LGBT equality₂₃, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₄ and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₅. Turkey still has work to do. Turkey does worse than average when it comes to eliminating modern slavery₂₆, freethought₂₇ (still good for Asia), its average Freedom in the World rating and in supporting press freedom₂₈. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 in terms of its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₉. But progress is always going to be difficult in a country where the richest 1% hold 23% of the country's entire income₃₀, and the wealthy dominate the poor. A new era of censorship has begun, with websites, media outlets and journalists being blocked and persecuted; Human Rights Watch states that "Turkey is the world leader in jailing journalists and media workers as they face criminal investigations and trials"₁₁. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan espouses misogynistic and backwards opinions on women, actively holding back any chance of progress on women's rights and retarding family life and family planning services₃₁. Turkey has also gone backwards on its stance against torture, with a raft of reports from 2017 emanating from those in police custody describing torture and ill-treatment₁₁.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Turkey

5. Turkey's Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #turkey #vaccines

Compared to Asia (2025)32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank32
1=	Japan	44.1
2	Hong Kong	48.2
3	Singapore	49.5
	...
19=	Vietnam	76.7
20	Lebanon	76.8
21	Maldives	77.3
22	Turkey	78.6
23	Russia	81.8
24	Azerbaijan	86.0
25	Iran	88.6
26	Kazakhstan	90.7
27	Uzbekistan	92.2
	Asia Avg	80.90
q=50.

Health (2025)32
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank32
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
82	Lebanon	76.8
83	Maldives	77.3
84	Grenada	77.9
85	Turkey	78.6
86	British Virgin Islands	78.7
87	Trinidad & Tobago	79.4
88	Russia	81.8
89	Costa Rica	82.6
	World Avg	96.74
q=212.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₃. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₃₃.

21 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₃, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₃₃.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Turkey does relatively well in encouraging good health, compared to many other countries. Turkey comes in the best 20 in terms of its fertility rate₁₅. It does better than average in its alcohol consumption rate₃₄, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅, its average life expectancy₁₂, its immunizations take-up₃₆ and in its adolescent birth rate₃₇. But, there's bad news too. Turkey does worse than average when it comes to its smoking rate₃₈. The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the past 40 years. Life expectancy in Turkey improved by +10.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, better than the global average of +7.9yrs. Turkey's peak fertility rate was 6.38 in 1960.

Life Expectancy Higher is better12
Pos.		2021 Years12
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
53	Algeria	76.4
54	Montenegro	76.3
55	Panama	76.2
56	Turkey	76.0
57	Uruguay	75.4
58	Argentina	75.4
59	Bosnia & Herzegovina	75.3
60	Lebanon	75.0
	Asia Avg	73.48
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better34
Pos.		2016 Per Capita34
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
42=	Qatar	2.0
42=	Nepal	2.0
42=	Singapore	2.0
42=	Turkey	2.0
46	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.1
47	Mozambique	2.4
48=	Samoa	2.5
48=	Micronesia	2.5
	Asia Avg	3.9
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
13	Tunisia	2.06
14	Lebanon	2.08
15	Kuwait	2.09
16	Turkey	1.88
17	Cape Verde	1.88
18	Argentina	1.88
19	Myanmar (Burma)	2.13
20	Indonesia	2.15
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Smoking Rates Lower is better38
Pos.		201438
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
151	Bulgaria	1 505
152	Kuwait	1 517
153	Armenia	1 545
154	Turkey	1 581
155	Slovakia	1 618
156	Romania	1 620
157	Tunisia	1 628
158	Switzerland	1 634
	Asia Avg	1 035
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
41	Iceland	41
42	El Salvador	42
43	Russia	43
44	Turkey	44
45	Mexico	45
46	Malaysia	46
47	Czechia	47
48	China	48
	Asia Avg	64.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better39
Pos.		2016 %39
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
170	New Zealand	65.6
171	Bahrain	65.8
172	Malta	66.4
173=	Turkey	66.8
173=	Libya	66.8
175	UAE	67.8
176=	Lebanon	67.9
176=	USA	67.9
	Asia Avg	44.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better37
Pos.		2022 Per 100037
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
60	USA	15.1
61	Ukraine	15.2
62	Sri Lanka	15.4
63	Turkey	15.7
64	Uzbekistan	15.7
65	Macedonia	16.1
66	India	16.3
67	Armenia	18.3
	Asia Avg	25.9
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better36
Pos.		2015 Avg %36
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
57=	Armenia	95.6
58	Uruguay	95.6
59	Bhutan	95.6
60	Turkey	95.5
61	Malta	95.5
62	Botswana	95.4
63	Gambia	95.4
64	Cyprus	95.3
	Asia Avg	90.5
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

6. Turkey's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #turkey #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Asia (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Nepal	47.9
3	India	49.5
	...
13	Maldives	70.5
14	Yemen	71.9
15	Pakistan	72.0
16	Turkey	75.0
17	China	75.2
18	Afghanistan	75.7
19	Syria	77.4
20	Iran	79.0
21	UAE	81.8
	Asia Avg	86.44
q=51.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)40
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank40
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
69	Swaziland	74.2
70	Chad	74.4
71	UK	74.4
72	Turkey	75.0
73	China	75.2
74	Belgium	75.3
75	Cape Verde	75.6
76	Afghanistan	75.7
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Turkey ranks 72nd in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This rank is derived from 7 data sets. Turkey does better than average for its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₁, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂, energy to GDP efficiency₄₃ and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₄. But, things still need to improve in Turkey. Turkey does worse than average for its environmental performance₄₅ and in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index₄₆.

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better41
Pos.		Total41
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
28	Palestine	11.5%
29	Kyrgyzstan	11.1%
30	Serbia	10.6%
31	Turkey	10.0%
32	Denmark	9.8%
33	Kazakhstan	9.7%
34	Lithuania	8.9%
35	Estonia	8.7%
	Asia Avg	3.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

Environmental Performance Higher is better45
Pos.		201845
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
105	Paraguay	53.9
106	El Salvador	53.9
107	Fiji	53.1
108	Turkey	53.0
109	Ukraine	52.9
110	Guatemala	52.3
111	Maldives	52.1
112	Moldova	52.0
	Asia Avg	54.5
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better43
Pos.		2022 Avg43
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
54	Italy	0.84
55	Mali	0.86
56	Morocco	0.86
57	Turkey	0.86
58	Senegal	0.87
59	Sao Tome & Principe	0.88
60	Germany	0.91
61	Palestine	0.91
	Asia Avg	1.50
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
157	Comoros	48%
158	USA	47%
159	Albania	47%
160	Turkey	47%
161	Cambodia	47%
162	Kyrgyzstan	46%
163	Libya	46%
164	Micronesia	46%
	Asia Avg	55.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better42
Pos.		2011 %42
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
43	Vietnam	49.1%
44	Honduras	48.1%
45	Iran	47.9%
46	Turkey	47.4%
47	Sudan	46.9%
48	Malaysia	46.6%
49	Mozambique	46.5%
50	Laos	45.3%
	Asia Avg	37.9%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better44
Pos.		2021 kg44
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
76	Macedonia	41.0
77	Guatemala	42.1
78	Uzbekistan	42.3
79	Turkey	43.0
80	Vanuatu	43.4
81	El Salvador	43.9
82	Fiji	44.4
83	Congo, (Brazzaville)	46.0
	Asia Avg	46.7
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Green Future Index Higher is better46
Pos.		2023 Score46
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
60	Egypt	4.0
61	Dominican Rep.	4.0
62	Peru	4.0
63	Turkey	3.8
64	Cameroon	3.8
65	Ghana	3.8
66	Uganda	3.7
67	Pakistan	3.7
	Asia Avg	4.3
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

Turkey has done very little recently to reduce its carbon emissions and it scored 4th-worst on the 2023 edition of the Green Futures Index.₄₇

7. Turkey's Modernity and Learning

#capitalism #charity #corruption #economics #education #english #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #it_security #life_expectancy #maths #modernity #morals #peace #politics #religion #religiosity #religious_violence #research #science #secularisation #social_development #technology #terrorism #the_internet #turkey

Compared to Asia (2020)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	S. Korea	22.2
2	Japan	24.7
3	Israel	29.5
4	Hong Kong	31.2
5	Singapore	34.1
6	Russia	44.3
7	Cyprus	55.6
8	Turkey	55.9
9	Malaysia	59.4
10	Kazakhstan	59.8
11=	Saudi Arabia	62.0
12	UAE	64.3
13	Georgia	65.6
	Asia Avg	78.26
q=49.

Modernity & Learning (2020)48
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank48
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
49	Belarus	51.5
50	Brazil	52.8
51	Cyprus	55.6
52	Turkey	55.9
53	S. Africa	56.9
54	Serbia	57.1
55	Uruguay	57.6
56	Malaysia	59.4
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Belgium and Denmark₄₉. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₉. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₀.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₁

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₄₉, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₉.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Modernity and Education:

In the 2010s, Turkey increased its expected duration of education by almost 4.5 years, more than any other country in that decade. ₅₂

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2953
2	Israel	4.1153
3	Japan	3.5853
	...
31	New Zealand	1.1754
32	Brazil	1.1555
33	Malaysia	1.1355
34	Turkey	1.0153
35	Lithuania	0.9556
36	Poland	0.9453
37=	Slovakia	0.8953
37=	Malta	0.8956
	Asia Avg	0.75
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better57
Pos.		201857
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
101	Uruguay	56.0%
102	Lebanon	54.9%
103	Portugal	54.2%
104	Turkey	53.1%
105	Costa Rica	52.9%
106	Colombia	52.0%
107	Ecuador	51.9%
108	Tunisia	51.8%
	Asia Avg	66.0%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better58
Pos.		2021 Years58
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
9	Denmark	18.7
10	Netherlands	18.7
11	Grenada	18.7
12	Turkey	18.3
13	Norway	18.2
14	Spain	17.9
15	Argentina	17.9
16	Slovenia	17.7
	Asia Avg	13.5
	World Avg	13.5
q=193.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
52	Malaysia	52
53	Russia	53
54	St Lucia	54
55	Turkey	55
56	Armenia	56
57	Guinea-Bissau	57
58	Central African Rep.	58
59	Kenya	59
	Asia Avg	97.1
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Maths, Science & Reading Higher is better59
Pos.		2015 Score59
1	Singapore	1655
2	Hong Kong	1598
3	Japan	1586
	...
47=	Cyprus	1313
48	UAE	1298
49	Uruguay	1290
50	Turkey	1273
51	Trinidad & Tobago	1269
52	Moldova	1264
53	Montenegro	1256
54=	Costa Rica	1247
	Asia Avg	1398
	World Avg	1389
q=70.

Religiosity Lower is better60
Pos.		2018 %60
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61	Brazil	72
62=	Egypt	72
	Asia Avg	55.8
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better61
Pos.		201661
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
79	St Vincent & Grenadines	60%
80	St Lucia	59%
81	Bulgaria	59%
82=	Turkey	58%
82=	Romania	58%
84	Venezuela	58%
85=	Seychelles	58%
86	Morocco	58%
	Asia Avg	48.7%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

Freedom On The Internet Lower is better62
Pos.		201262
1	Estonia	10
2	USA	12
3	Germany	15
	...
22=	Libya	43
22=	Malaysia	43
24	Jordan	45
25=	Turkey	46
25=	Tunisia	46
27	Venezuela	48
28	Azerbaijan	50
29	Rwanda	51
	Asia Avg	56.6
	World Avg	46.7
q=47.

IT Security Lower is better63
Pos.		201363
1=	Ireland	0.11
1=	Luxembourg	0.11
1=	Belize	0.11
	...
17	Taiwan	0.44
18	Sweden	0.44
19	Romania	0.52
20	Turkey	0.52
21	Poland	0.55
22	Switzerland	0.55
23	S. Korea	0.56
24	Australia	0.63
	Asia Avg	1.08
	World Avg	0.98

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better64
Pos.		2017 Ratio64
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
58	Bhutan	0.4
59	China	0.3
60	Iceland	0.3
61	Turkey	0.3
62=	Uruguay	0.3
62=	Moldova	0.3
64	UAE	0.3
65	Seychelles	0.2
	Asia Avg	2.11
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better65
Pos.		202465
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
46	Uruguay	54.8%
47	Ukraine	54.4%
48	Serbia	53.5%
49	Turkey	52.2%
50	Russia	52.1%
51	Thailand	51.4%
52	Bahrain	51.1%
53	Brazil	50.9%
	Asia Avg	46.4%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Turkey's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism #turkey

Compared to Asia (2020)66
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank66
1	Singapore	20.2
2	Taiwan	37.2
3	Hong Kong	40.5
	...
28	Uzbekistan	82.9
29	Nepal	83.4
30	India	85.6
31	Turkey	86.8
32	Georgia	87.1
33	Saudi Arabia	88.4
34	Tajikistan	88.6
35	Laos	95.5
36	Bangladesh	95.9
	Asia Avg	79.59
q=49.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)66
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank66
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
102	El Salvador	85.5
103	India	85.6
104	Algeria	86.2
105	Turkey	86.8
106	Georgia	87.1
107	Mexico	87.2
108	Namibia	87.3
109	Peru	87.3
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better67
Pos.		2022 %67
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
61=	Senegal	40.0
61=	Estonia	40.0
61=	Uruguay	40.0
61=	Turkey	40.0
61=	Hungary	40.0
61=	India	40.0
61=	Cyprus	40.0
68	Malawi	39.0
	Asia Avg	37.9
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better68
Pos.		2022 Points68
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
100	Lesotho	37.0
101	Serbia	36.0
102=	Peru	36.0
102=	Turkey	36.0
102=	Sri Lanka	36.0
102=	Panama	36.0
102=	Albania	36.0
102=	Ecuador	36.0
	Asia Avg	39.98
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Throughout the 2010s, Turkey's score on the Corruption Perception Index declined drastically; it was amongst the 10 countries with the worse rise in perceived corruption that decade. Turkey periodically falls into periods of high corruption; in 1853 the New York Times said that the most beneficial thing Turkey could do was to deter office holders from "busy[ing] themselves [with] devising means to increase their own income"₆₉.

Happiness Higher is better70
Pos.		2024 Score70
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
91	Georgia	5.4
92	Nepal	5.3
93	Laos	5.3
94	Turkey	5.3
95	S. Africa	5.2
96	Mozambique	5.2
97	Gabon	5.1
98	Ivory Coast	5.1
	Asia Avg	5.41
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
72	Botswana	72
73	Dominica	73
74	Antigua & Barbuda	74
75	Turkey	75
76	Kyrgyzstan	76
77	Togo	77
78	Albania	78
79	Brunei	79
	Asia Avg	99.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
37	Estonia	37
38	Cyprus	38
39	Bulgaria	39
40	Turkey	40
41	Marshall Islands	41
42	Malta	42
43	Morocco	43
44	Fiji	44
	Asia Avg	86.3
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better71
Pos.		2023 Score71
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
145	Myanmar (Burma)	2.74
146	Pakistan	2.75
147=	Iran	2.80
147=	Turkey	2.80
149	N. Korea	2.85
150	Burkina Faso	2.87
151	Ethiopia	2.87
152	Central African Rep.	2.93
	Asia Avg	2.17
	World Avg	2.07
q=163.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
75	Guyana	75
76	Fiji	76
77	Iceland	77
78	Turkey	78
79	Georgia	79
80	Albania	80
81	Gabon	81
82	Russia	82
	Asia Avg	76.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
36	Romania	36
37	Uruguay	37
38	Liberia	38
39	Turkey	39
40	Malaysia	40
41	Montenegro	41
42	Iceland	42
43	Hungary	43
	Asia Avg	92.2
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better72
Pos.		2019 Score72
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
132	Colombia	5.91
133	Thailand	6.03
134	S. Sudan	6.32
135	Turkey	6.53
136	Cameroon	6.62
137	Central African Rep.	6.62
138	Mali	6.65
139	Libya	6.77
	Asia Avg	3.60
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better73
Pos.		201973
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
70	Barbados	8.70
71=	Armenia	8.70
72	Tunisia	9.00
73=	Turkey	9.00
74	Libya	9.10
75	Iran	9.20
76	Mauritius	9.40
77=	Seychelles	9.60
	Asia Avg	11.80
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better74
Pos.		2023 %74
1	Slovakia	24.1%75
2	Slovenia	24.3%75
3	Belarus	24.4%76
	...
141=	Rwanda	43.7%77
142	Grenada	43.8%78
143	S. Sudan	44.1%77
144	Turkey	44.4%75
145	Ecuador	44.6%79
146=	Congo, DR	44.7%76
146=	Venezuela	44.7%80
148	Lesotho	44.9%81
	Asia Avg	33.0%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#afterlife #buddhism #christianity #freethought #heaven #hell #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_turkey #religiosity #secularisation #turkey

Religiosity (2018)60
Pos.		Lower is better %60
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
55	Lebanon	57
56	Panama	61
57	Venezuela	67
58	Turkey	68
59=	Bolivia	71
59=	Botswana	71
61	Brazil	72
62=	Egypt	72
63	Algeria	73
64=	Peru	73
65	S. Africa	75
66=	Ecuador	76
66=	Costa Rica	76
68	Puerto Rico	77
69=	Malaysia	77
69=	Colombia	77
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₈₂:

Christian	0.4%
Muslim	98%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	0.1%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	1.2%

It appears that when asked "What religion are you" many give pollsters the 'correct' answer despite how they actually feel, and despite what they actually believe. Although 98.8% of the populace say they belong to a religion, only 68% say that they are religious when the question is phrased as "Is religion an important part of your daily life?".

For more on this phenomenon, see:

• "Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)₈₃.

The Afterlife: Ipsos-NA in 2011 gathered some statistics on Turkey₈₄. Despite the large numbers of Muslims, not many have traditional beliefs in the afterlife - just 52%. Some people don't know what to believe (14%). Some believe that upon death, you simply cease to exist (5%). 2% believe in reincarnation.

Freedom of Religion and Belief:

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Human Rights and Freedom in Turkey: 4.3. Freedom of Thought

10. Accession to the European Union₈₅

#france #germany #islam #turkey #UK

Turkey began the formal process for joining the European Union (EU) in 1987, when it was still called the European Economic Community. Most political commentators think that the required Turkish reform have made so little progress that there is little willpower to embrace democratic free-market capitalism. The Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has already been mentioned on this page for resisting human rights, and in 2016 May he said to the EU "We´ll go our way, you go yours"₈₆ and "it is clear, then, that Ankara is marching rapidly away from the EU"₈₆. Despite this, the UK Conservative government under Prime Minister David Cameron has consistently argued in favour of Turkey joining the EU, and Turkey was one of the first countries to join the Council of Europe, founded by the UK in 1949 to bring Europe together after WW2. But under the sway of political Islam, Turkey has strayed from the international fold.

“A country has to adopt and enforce all the current EU rules before it can be admitted to the bloc. EU rules are divided into 35 policy areas and in 10 years Turkey only managed to adopt the rules on one: science and research. In most other areas it has not even made a start. [...]

A 2015 Commission report on Turkey highlighted many areas of difficulty. These include concerns about Turkey's human rights record, new limits to freedom of expression and its state of public administration.

Perhaps most importantly, the Commission said there had been "no progress on normalising bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus". Turkey is the only country that recognises the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The EU and the United Nations only recognise the Greek Cypriot government as the legitimate government of the whole island. [...]

The UK government's formal position is to support Turkey joining the EU and over the years it has sounded enthusiastic. In July 2010, on a visit to Turkey, David Cameron warned France and Germany not to shut Turkey "out of the club”

BBC News (2016)₈₇

There are some arguments for keeping Turkey hopeful. After all, Recep Tayyip Erdogan cannot remain in power forever. The lure of the EU used to pull Turkey towards the embrace of democracy and human rights, but the statements against Turkey by European leaders "play directly into the hands of hardliners"₈₆. Although there are politicians in Turkey who still want their country to embrace the modern world, they are often isolated by the actions of other Westerners.

“When Ms Merkel allows German comedians to be sued for insulting the Turkish president, she is sending the message that Turkey's democrats are all alone. [...] Pushing Turkey away from Europe is easy - it is already happening. But all this will do is strengthen the anti-democratic forces there.”

Turkish novelist Elif Shafak₈₆